Ni3C MXene nanosheets as an efficient binder-less electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction

Low overpotential driven water-splitting is globally proposed as an effective replacement of conventional energy generation devices. However, these applications are extensively reported with noble electrocatalysts which makes them unsuitable for large scale applications. Therefore, it is essential to develop a non-noble, highly stable and low-cost electrocatalyst for oxygen evolution reaction (OER). In this report, we demonstrate solvothermal HF free etching and exfoliation of Ni-MAX to form Ni-MXene nanosheets as an effective electrocatalyst for OER. The as-synthesized Ni-MXene catalyst over nickel foam NiMX/NF electrode exhibits an overpotential of 245 mV at 100 mA/cm2. This performance can be attributed to the increased electrocatalytic activity and enhanced conductivity of the catalyst due to the presence of Ni2+/3+ redox couple and carbon in the Ni-MXene nanosheets, respectively. The catalyst electrode exhibits 83 % of current density retention after 14 h of continuous catalysis. This proves Ni MXene as an ideal candidate for the large scale and industrial applications of OER.